


Defying All Odds

by novusavis



Series: Take Back The Pines [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hopeful Ending, Magic Bullshit, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Recovery, Reunions, basically the ending that will heal your heart that I broke whoops, but they will be, they aren't okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 04:11:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11798109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novusavis/pseuds/novusavis
Summary: Basically the other ending for the series, where your heart is revived and not pulverized into smithereens :)





	Defying All Odds

**Paige**

“ _What the hell have you done?_ ” 

Paige practically growls as she stands on the cliff edge. The Pines look up in surprise, eyes wide with shock and glittering with anguish and sorrow, but it does nothing to soothe the storm raging within and does nothing to console her mourning and lonely soul.

“W-What…?” Mabel stutters as Paige jumps to the clearing floor and stalks to their side. She knows she must make for a menacing image, eyes glowing a venomous and toxic green as her magic bubbles and seethes with fury. Paige drops to a crouch beside Stanley, despite the family’s protests. Her hand shakes, just barely, as Paige reaches out, gently inspecting the gaping wound in Dipper’s chest. Her calloused fingers stain crimson. Paige closes her eyes, focusing on Dipper and his magic, hoping for any sign and searching for any chance.

Unsurprisingly, Dipper’s magic is absent and does not greet Paige’s searching, though something else does. Paige’s brows furrow, but she continues her investigation. The magic is strong and blinding, a beacon of pure and raw power. _The crystal_ , she realizes numbly. The crystal that Dipper undoubtedly, though rather stupidly, consumed… somehow. Its power still sings in response to Paige’s probing and clings to his corpse, reluctant to abandon its host that it had grown fond of.

Paige’s heart throbs at the thought. She leans back, her hands curling into fists in her lap, and Paige stares at Dipper. Her thoughts are going a million miles an hour, desperately searching for anything and any way to change what has come to pass. Paige watches a drop of blood drip from Dipper’s chin onto Mabel’s skirt. 

Allowing her eyes fall shut, Paige grabs Dipper’s hand, her thumb tracing patterns on its back in blood. What’s the point of being immortal, Paige wonders bitterly, if you can’t even save the people you love? 

Blinking, Paige stares at Dipper once more. Her train of thought stutters briefly. _Immortal._ Not nearly enough power to raise someone from the dead, but combined with the power of a crystal...

Paige hastily reaches out, pulling Dipper into her own arms. Mabel protests, attempting to reclaim her brother, but Paige sends her a sharp glare, “Stop. I’m trying to help.” Mabel stares at her, eyes conveying confusion, but she reluctantly nods. 

Placing a hand over Dipper’s wound, Paige closes her eyes once more, probing at the crystal’s magic. _Please…_ she calls out, quiet and desperate, but Paige knows it’s a good sign when the magic’s song softens some and it’s attention focuses on her. 

_Please give me the honor of wielding your power so that I might save my friend._ The power hums in agitation, and Paige hastens to correct herself, _I don’t intend to waste you on a single person, I promise. But I don’t have the power or strength to retrieve him from death’s grasp on my own._

 ** _The sacrifice will be great. You will be mortal once more._** The thought is sudden and foreign, not of her own creation. She pauses, allowing the statement to sink in.

 _Immortality is meaningless if I am to spend eternity alone, and there is no pleasure in power if I don’t have him to share it with._ She thinks truthfully.

Not waiting for a further response, Paige carefully sets Dipper onto the floor, resettling herself at his side and placing her hands over the wound. Breathing in deeply, Paige begins the chant from an ancient spell, one she had learned and memorized in an old relic of a book. _A life for a life._ Nothing happens after the first time through, so Paige starts at the beginning once more, not ready to give up just yet. 

It’s on the fourth loop that the warm tingling sensation of magic graces her fingertips, and Paige can’t help but glance down. The area beneath her hands is glowing a brilliant white, shining out the spaces between her fingers. Her eyes slide shut once more, and Paige refocuses her energy on the spell, a smile gracing her lips. It’s on the sixth chant that spell finally goes through. 

Paige can only compare the sensation to that of a rollercoaster when the cart plunges straight down at full speed. An exhilarating and uncontrollable rush. Her own magic and that of the crystal courses through her, and then suddenly the feeling changes. She’s being drained, a powerful vacuum at her hands sucking the energy from her, and she stutters on her words momentarily. It’s exhausting, and Paige doesn’t know how long she will be able to keep this up, when it reaches an abrupt stop, and she collapses. 

Her breathing is heavy and erratic, which is shocking, because Paige had honestly thought she would be dead. Gentle hands grip her shoulders and help her sit up, and Paige can’t help but groan, her muscles crying in outrage as though she just spent the day at the gym. When she opens her eyes groggily, Mabel gasps. 

“What’s your problem?” Paige grumbles, running her fingers over her scalp. 

“Your eyes, they’re green. And not that really bright green like when you're doing magic, but like… a warmer green.” 

Paige blinks at Mabel, confused because _why would her eyes be their human color again?_ And then it clicks. _A life for a life_. Returned to humanity once more. She jerks her head down, staring at Dipper. The fatal wound in his chest is gone, not even a scar left behind as proof that it was ever there. Paige leans forward, resting her ear on his chest and a hand on the pulse point on his neck. 

A steady, if not slightly weak, heartbeat greets her. Paige sits upright, pumping her fists into the air with whoops and laughter. The Pines stare, confused, until Mabel gasps, her wide eyes trained on Dipper’s chest, which rises and falls with each breath. 

Someone hugs Paige from behind, and she raises an eyebrow when she realizes it’s _Stanley_ , but she doesn’t mind too much. It’s understandable. He releases her quickly, and scoops his now not-dead-nephew into his arms. 

“We should get out of here and… get him somewhere where he can rest and recover.” Stan says, watery eyes gazing down at Dipper’s peacefully unconscious features with adoration, hope, and relief. Mabel scrambles to her feet and follows Stan like an excited puppy, peering at Dipper with wide, glittering eyes.. Paige grins, standing and brushing the dirt from her knees. Turning, she regards the rest of the Pines family, where they stand and stare with shock and wonder. 

“Well? Let’s get going, we don’t want to keep them waiting.” 

**Dipper**

There isn’t an exact moment of alertness when Dipper wakes up, it’s more of a gradual realization of the senses. The bed is warm and soft, much more luxurious than he has had in a long time, and he’s nestled safely under several layers of quilts. Dipper blinks, gradually shifting his gaze to study his surroundings more thoroughly. The small room is dark, the only light coming from the beams of moonlight streaming through two french doors leading to a balcony. There’s a particularly bright patch of silvery-white shine on the bed by his hip, he realizes. Dipper reaches out a hand to touch it, and is surprised to find that it isn’t just moonlight, but _hair._

Dipper blinks, rubbing a couple strands between his fingers in a state of sluggish confusion. He drops it when the sound of someone stirring shakes him out of his daze enough to realize that someone is in fact sleeping there, and that there isn’t just a random clump of hair on the bed.

The person sits up, leaning back on a chair beside the bed, and stretches. Their long, silvery hair cascades in shimmering waves as shifts in the moonlight. Dipper tears his gaze away, instead focusing on the mystery person’s face. The person- a girl, Dipper suspects- has a familiar face. She opens her eyes, and Dipper immediately stiffens. The girl doesn’t look at him quite yet, instead scanning the room. Her irises are a bright emerald green with specks of gold, sparkling with a familiar fire and liveliness that Dipper has grown fond of over the years. When their eyes meet, Dipper can feel his chin wobble ever so slightly. 

He watches her eyes widen and a grin brighten her face with joy. “Dipper!” She says with excitement while keeping her voice at a low whisper. Dipper doesn’t say anything, opting instead to stare at her. The grin slips a bit when he doesn’t respond, but a genuine, timid smile stays fixed on her lips. 

After a failed attempt to swallow, Dipper manages, “So, am I to assume I’m dead?” 

The bubbling laughter isn’t the response he was expecting, but she doesn’t give him time to question it, “Wow, nice to see you too. No, you’re not dead, but not for a lack of effort.” Her emerald eyes sparkle with mirth. 

Dipper frowns, studying her face, “But I…” His eyes widen, and he stares down at his chest, hands frantically searching for the gaping hole that had been his death sentence. His chest, however, is whole and lacks any sign that he had ever been shot. Dipper swallows thickly, looking up at her once more, “I was shot, wasn’t I? I… I don’t understand, I should be dead. At the very least, I know that _you’re_ dead.” 

Her mouth twitches, and the smile vanishes briefly, “We worked some serious magic to bring you back, but yes, you were dead for about ten minutes. And as for me, well,” She turns, hugging her sides and hunching over slightly, “I was dead briefly, but Bill made the mistake of killing me in the presence of some holy runes or some shit, so that didn’t last long.” 

“So… you’ve been alive this whole time?” 

She winces, but looks Dipper in the eye once more, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was trying to find some way of freeing you and I didn’t want you to get involved or alert Bill of anything. I ended up working with the Pines during this little roadtrip mission with the goal to kill Bill.” Dipper grips the quilt tightly in clenched fists, but says nothing. “So… how mad are you?” 

Dipper can feel his mouth quirk into a smile, “Oh, pretty pissed, but I’m more happy that you’re alive. Now get your butt over here and give me a hug.” He opens his arms, wiggling his fingers as invitation. 

Her eyes are wide, and Dipper watches a couple fat, shocked tears slide down her cheeks before she grins and launches herself at him. Her arms snake around to grip at his shoulders, and Dipper buries his face into the crook of her neck, a river of tears escaping his own eyes. They stay in their embrace for a long time, both content to simply bask in each other's warmth and touch. When they do finally separate, Dipper smiles at her, “It’s good to see you, Paige.” 

Paige laughs, shaking her head, and smiles back at Dipper. “It’s good to see you too, you absolute dork.” 

Dipper rolls his eyes and nudges her shoulder playfully. He pauses, blinking a couple times, before asking, “What the hell happened to your hair?” 

**Mabel**

Everyone is strewn about the living room, occupying various pieces of furniture in their hazardous exhaustion. Only Stanley and Mabel herself have managed to resist the urge pass out. Mabel is tucked away on a heavily cushioned loveseat, a mug of warm tea settled snuggly in her cupped hands, rolls of steam curling in her face. More frequently than she is ready to admit, Mabel finds her gaze drawn to the stairs leading the second floor, mind wandering to the only two people currently up there. 

She will admit, Mabel is bitter that Paige is the one to stay at her brother’s bedside while he sleeps. They had had quite the row over who should stay by his side, but ultimately the majority agreed it would be best to leave Paige with Dipper, as she is the only person who would be able to properly defend herself should Dipper wake and, in a blind panic, lash out. 

It had been a shock when Mabel made the connection between Paige and the redhead in Gideon’s vision. Mabel had observed Paige watch over Dipper with a tender and gentle touch, her green eyes fond, and it had clicked. She knows she should be glad that Dipper has found someone else he can depend on, that he isn’t trapped with only the family for support, but it’s also a little disappointing to know that he won’t always be turning to Mabel like he did when they were younger.

An hour later, Mabel is still nursing her tea, drinking it half-heartedly. The room is filled with the sound of soft snores as the others sleep on, and Mabel is startled when Stan breaks into her thoughts, “Did you know?” 

Mabel turns, looking across the room to where he is sitting in a leather recliner, and blinks owlishly, “Did I know…?” 

“That it was Dipper the entire time.” Her uncle’s voice catches on Dipper’s name. 

Taking a sip of her tea, Mabel is slow to respond, “No, I didn’t know. I had always thought they were similar in some regards but… believe me, if I had known, I would have told you, at the least.” 

Stan sighs, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. “At least now we know he’s alive.” He jokes. 

Mabel scowls, muttering bitterly, “Only because of Paige. If she hadn’t been there, Dipper would be dead.” 

She doesn’t receive an immediate response, unsurprisingly. When she does, Stan’s voice is gentle, “Mabel, you know that Ford never meant for that to happen.” 

“But it did. Don’t lie to me, none of them would have actually cared in the slightest if it had simply been _Malum_ , and not Dipper, who was killed. The only reason they were willing to say their actions were a mistake was because it was Dipper.” 

“I know, darling, but understand that they only want the best for this family. The apocalypse has ruined us all in more ways than we can count, and they weren’t willing to trust a lacky of Bill’s. It wasn’t anything personal to him.” 

Mabel huffs in frustration, “But they never even gave him a chance to be anything but a lacky. We could have lost Dipper, _permanently_ because of their refusal to give him even the smallest amount of trust.” 

Stan opens his mouth to respond, but shuts it almost immediately. The quiet shuffle of footsteps on the floor above has the pair watching the staircase with anticipation. Paige wanders down not a minute later, her movements slow and stealthy. Her now green eyes meet their’s, and she smiles, waving her hand to beckon them over. It’s all Mabel can do not to sprint. 

When Stan and Mabel reach Paige, she whispers to them, “Dipper’s awake and wants to see you both, if you’re ready.” They both nod enthusiastically, “Alright, just remember though, he’s still a little skittish and nervous, so don’t be too offended by it.” 

Dipper is sitting up in bed when they enter the room and is gazing out toward the balcony. The skin under his eyes is dark and exhausted, but otherwise he appears to be in decent health. Paige doesn’t walk in with them, instead staying out in the hallway. Stan and Mabel both stand there for a minute, simply staring at him, until he glances over. 

His eyes meet Mabel’s first, and a shy smile tugs at his lips. Mabel’s feet hesitantly guide her forward until she has her arms wrapped around him and her face buried safely in his hair. One hand moves to his chest, double checking to ensure that he is, in fact, not dead but very much alive. 

She pulls away after a minute or two, eyes watery, and stares at him. Dipper meets her gaze, actions still unsure and shy, but he manages a quiet, “Hey, Mabes.” 

And then she’s laughing. Mabel hasn’t laughed a laugh this light and free in seven years. It feels good. She grins down at him, moving to sit with her legs crossed on the bed, “Hey, Dipper.” Mabel turns around, spotting Stan still standing by the door. His gaze is fond, but he obviously doesn’t want to interrupt their reunion. She jerks her head, and he moves to stand at the bedside. 

“Hey kiddo, long time no see,” Stan says, voice a little more growly and thick than normal, but they don’t comment on it. 

“Hey old man. And it hasn’t been _that_ long, especially in comparison to the long, long life you have lived.” 

“Oh, shut it, you tiny ingrate,” Stan laughs, ruffling Dipper’s hair and hauling the twins into a warm bear hug. 

The tears spring up quickly and are unstoppable, and they don’t let go of one another until the tears have dried nearly an hour later. They talk, about anything and everything, making up for lost time. Mabel describes some of the more insane adventures they had been on during their separation, and Stan talks about the organization they had built up for the small group of survivors. They discuss magic and the different techniques they had learned. Dipper doesn’t mention much of the past seven years, but they don’t expect him to. Maybe one day, but that can wait until he’s ready. They spontaneously burst into tears periodically throughout the night, their cheeks never quite drying before a fresh wave hits. 

When the rest of the crew greet Dipper the following day, it’s about five times more awkward and stunted. Dipper attempts to make conversation with Wendy and Soos, but they’re still weighed down by guilt and aren’t ready to face their actions quite yet. Ford, surprisingly, has an easier time connecting with Dipper. He apologizes to Dipper for shooting him, which Dipper shrugs off, and they discuss nerdy things until Mabel interrupts them, complaining how about _boring_ they are being. Their relationship is still on the professional and polite side, if you ask Mabel, but in her opinion Ford is lucky to even have that.

Mabel is pleasantly surprised to find that she and Paige get along very well, despite her initial annoyance with the girl. Paige is more of a nerd than Mabel is herself, but she has a charming and bubbly personality that compliments Mabel’s own. Mabel watches Paige fit into the family almost seamlessly, and can’t help but feel relieved. If Paige wasn’t so compatible with the family, Mabel is almost certain that once Dipper had recovered, the pair would have been off and away before she could protest. And Mabel knows that if Dipper is ever forced to make that decision, it wouldn’t be in the family’s favor. 

She isn’t sure if they themselves know, if they’re even aware. Mabel isn’t sure how to feel about it herself. Happy, perhaps, especially for her brother, though a little sad in the fact that he is less dependant on her now. Watching the way Dipper’s shoulders slump in relaxation when Paige enters the room, the corners of his mouth twitching as though tempted to smile. Or in the early mornings, before the sun has graced the skies and the stars still twinkle and dance, how they stand so close, arms brushing against each other as Paige makes coffee for the two of them. Two creams, a sugar, and a shot of caramel in his (the spoiled child) and hers a shade darker than the night sky. Or how they curl up on the arm chair tucked away in the attic, a battered old thing of quilt patches on once impressive upholstery, Dipper’s head resting on her shoulder as Paige reads through a book, his eyes lazily scanning the pages alongside her. 

Now, Mabel watches them in the backyard. Dipper is still weak from his injury, nearly two weeks later, but he’s recovering. Paige had insisted that Dipper needed some fresh air and had hauled him out the door, despite his weak protests. Their arms are linked and their pace is leisurely as they stroll into the forest. Mabel is only slightly worried for their safety, but she knows that Paige won’t let anything happen to Dipper, and the same could be said the other way around. She smiles, leaning against the door frame leading out to the porch. 

They still need to plan how to clear out the remaining demons and monsters. With Bill gone, the dark creatures’ power has been severely wounded, but it won’t stay that way forever. Slowly but surely, they will cleanse the earth of the creatures, and find any fellow survivors. They will rebuild civilization. They still have a long way to go before everything is okay, but they’ll get there. One day. 

**Author's Note:**

> And that's the other end! Choose whichever you like to be canon, I love both so I don't mind either way.  
> As always, please leave comments, you can comment once on one or twice on both endings, I don't mind, but PLEASE comment! These are most likely the last additions to the series and I would like to talk with everyone again.  
> Feel free to talk with me on tumblr at https://novusavis.tumblr.com/ or any of my other social media accounts!  
> Anyway, that's about it, thank you all so much, I love you guys!  
> Lots of Love,  
> ~NovusAvis/Bukubird


End file.
